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In My Mailbox is a weekly feature that is hosted by The Story Siren. Every Sunday (maybe Monday if I’m feeling off) I will post a list of all of the books I received or bought over the past week. I don’t expect this to be a weekly feature at TS – but hey – it’d be great if it was!

Monday, September 7th was Labor Day, and sadly, this meant that there was one less day to receive mail this week. Now, here are the books that I received this week from September 8th to September 12th, 2009.

Received for Review

Cracking the $$ Code: What Successful Men Know and You Don’t (Yet) by Attorney Patricia M. Annino

Cracking the $$ Code: What Successful Men Know and You Don’t (Yet) sets forth important code cracking lessons that successful men just know and women just don’t, but can easily learn. Whether you are a professional, have your own business, work for a corporation or are considering re-entering the workforce, this book provides practical getting-ahead lessons from a successful woman who learned it in the trenches.

This arrived on Tuesday and it sounds like a very promising and helpful read. I have high hopes for it.

The Great Mrs. Claus by Chris A. Shoemaker

The Great Mrs. Claus is told by Sparky, Santa’s senior elf, and his favorite nephew and niece, Rassle and Klee-Klee. Their surprising bedtime demonstration prompts their doting Uncle Sparky to share a seldom-told poem. It details how Santa first met Mrs. Claus and fell (literally!) in love with her.

At heart, The Great Mrs. Claus is a coming-of-age story that proves we’re never too old to show our true affections for one another. It features Mrs. Claus – an often overlooked but smart and fiercely independent-minded woman with an enormous sense of humor!

The Great Mrs. Claus reminds us to value our loved ones and practice those daily family rituals that make life special.

This book also arrived on Tuesday. The poor mailman looked a bit harried as he tried to unload all of the boxes and packages that arrived at the house that day. It looks absolutely cute, but came wrapped in plastic, so I haven’t opened it yet to take a sneak peek. This probably won’t last long though.

A Cat’s Eye View of Life and Love by Sterling With Gentle Self-Help for All Ages by Marta Felber

Look into a cat’s eyes. What is the cat thinking? What would the cat say if the cat spoke your language? Sterling the Cat answers these questions in sixty stories dictated to M, his co-author. In “Mewsings” at the end of each story, he seeks meaning in what happens to him in M’s world.

You first meet Sterling curled up on the top shelf of an animal shelter waiting in vain for someone to want him. He has given up hope until M reaches up a finger for him to smell and says, “I choose you.” Thus begins their live and love together. He faces his anger, M going away, a ghost cat in the house, having to lose weight, the night he causes a cat-astrophe, moving to a new home, the no-fun birthday party, and the intruder cat – he calls her Miss Fit – who joins them.

These stories and the others lead up to the last one where he reveals a secret. Photographs throughout this large-format paperback help bring Sterling the Cat – and his Mewsings – to life for readers of all ages.

As a cat lover I am very eager to read this. Any book that has to do with cats grabs my attention, doubly so when it’s told from the cat’s perspective. I hope to get a chance to read this one very soon.

The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik

Smart, successful Ava Nickerson is closing in on thirty and has barely had a date since law school. When a family crisis brings her prodigal little sister Lauren back to Los Angeles, Lauren stumbles across a forgotten document – a contract their parents had jokingly drawn up years ago betrothing Ava to their friends’ son.

Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava’s constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she’s a in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister’s childhood fiance. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy to reenter the Nickerson sisters’ lives. And always-accountable Ava will soon realize just how binding a contract can be…

This arrived on Friday, and thankfully, our UPS man is good about leaving packages on the porch and protected from the elements. I say this because the dogs never barked nor did I ever hear the UPS man arrive that day and, worst yet, it was raining all day long on Friday.

Books from Giveaways & Contests

Shapeshifter: The Demo Tapes (Year 1) by Susan Helene Gottfried

A band’s demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, Shapeshifter.

Originally published online between April 2006 and March 2007, the Demo Tapes: Year 1 brings together the moments that parallel – but never encounter – Susan Helene Gottfried’s debut novel, Trevor’s Song. Arranged chronologically and with introductions to each, this is a must-have volume for anyone who’s ever wanted to hang with a rock band.

A big THANK YOU goes out to owners of Down Under Views who hosted a giveaway where Year 1 or Year 2 (winner’s choice) were both up for prizes. And of course, to the author, Susan Helene Gottfried whose writings I have been stalking online for some time now (and of course) for autographing my copy as well!